Difference between revisions of "Australia"

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=Safety and Security Considerations=
 
=Safety and Security Considerations=
 
==Driving at night==
 
==Driving at night==
Driving at night is generally safe in the cities and outside them. Be careful to watch for native wildlife though, particularly Kangaroos. As you travel around you'll see utes (pickups) and buses adorned with massive, Road-Warrior-esque bull bars - these are installed mainly with Kangaroos in mind. Kangaroos are very fast, very hard to predict and very solid - hitting one at ~100kmh can disable a car or kill a motorcyclist. There'll usually be signs on main roads where Kangaroos are common. Kangaroos are most active at sunrise and sunset - be most vigilant around these times.
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Driving at night is generally safe in the cities and outside them. In country areas be careful to watch for native wildlife though, particularly Kangaroos. As you travel around you'll see utes (pickups) and buses adorned with massive, Road-Warrior-esque bull bars - these are installed mainly with Kangaroos in mind. Kangaroos are very fast, very hard to predict and very solid - hitting one at ~100kmh can disable a car or kill a motorcyclist. There'll usually be signs on main roads where Kangaroos are common. Kangaroos are most active at sunrise and sunset - be most vigilant around these times.
  
 
==Vehicle parking==
 
==Vehicle parking==

Revision as of 19:22, 23 January 2012


Currency to display:

Entering Australia with a Car or Motorbike

Correct as of: (date last confirmed correct)

Required Paperwork

tbc

Process at border

(To check if you need a travel Visa for Australia, application instructions and fees see: Australia Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)
Briefly describe the process at the border to enter with a vehicle

Cost of entry

tbc

Permitted length of stay

tbc

Extension of stay

tbc

Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country

There are a number of self-storage companies that you can hire a garage from to store a vehicle. Look at link Kennards Self Storage and similar companies.

Exiting with a vehicle

Describe the paperwork requirements and process at the border to exit.

Driving in Australia

Insurance requirements

Yes or No if insurance is mandatory, and what kind is acceptable.

Cost of insurance

State the price of insurance and a time period.

Where to purchase insurance

Describe where insurance can be purchased.

Driving license

State the kind of driving licenses required. i.e. International Driving Permit.

Driving side of road

Australians drive on the left side of the road, the same as in Britain. Left-hand-drive vehicles can be driven without issue when they are in the country temporarily.

Mandatory items in vehicle

State any mandatory items that must be carried in the vehicle. (i.e. safety triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.)

Roads

General Road quality

In the cities, the roads are generally reasonably wide as most Australians own cars as their primary form of transport. One way streets certainly exist but aren't as commmon as they are in denser cities like Hong Kong. Road quality within the cities (particularly in the suburbs) can be variable - Sydney and Melbourne in particular are some of the largest cities by area in the world and funding to fix pot holes is stretched thin.

Between the cities, the freeway system that links the big cities on the east coast (Melbourne to Sydney for example) is generally very good. Between smaller towns, there are generally paved two-lane highways that are decent. As you get more remote though, expect to deal with dirt roads - the outback of Australia is extremely large and not densely populated, and as such a large proportion of Australia's road network is dirt or gravel.

Road signs

Briefly describe the overall quality & existence of road signs for directions and hazards. In the cities, road sign quality is pretty good - one thing to watch out for is speed limit signs though. The speed limit changes extremely frequently and speed cameras are common.

Quality of signposting decreases as you travel to more remote regions - on the major highway/freeway networks it's generally very good with signposts frequently educating you as to what's ahead, how far to go, whether there's petrol etc. On more remote roads you'll probably find town names and not much else.

Toll roads

In cities, toll roads are unfortunately quite common and very expensive - to get over the Sydney Harbour Bridge is around $3.60 AUD. In general it is quite possible to avoid tolls in most cases, but expect your journey to take up to twice as long depending on traffic.

In Australia, generally "Motorways" have tolls and "Freeways" are free.

When using toll roads, something to consider is that although there are still cash-based booths here and there, most tollways rely on RFID-based toll collection mechanisms, where you register for a tag, put it on your car and it's detected when you drive through the booth, deducting your account. In NSW, motorcycles are generally exempt from having to carry around the tag (as there's no practical place to really put it) so the numberplate of the bike is scanned as they drive thruogh.

Outside of the cities, travel is generally free. However, expect to see the occasional car-ferry that charges per trip.

Bribery in Australia

Australia is one of the least corrupt countries in the world - joint 8th with Switzerland according to Transparency International. Bribery isn't part of the culture and it would be very unusual to be extorted. Offering bribes for something simple like a speeding ticket is extremely inadvisable.

Checkpoints

Extremely uncommon.

Traveling with pets

All pets are subject to quarantine when arriving internationally. Quarantine time is based on exported country with a minimum of 30days in quarantine. Refer to: AQIS - Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service for current criteria.

Gas and Diesel price in Australia

Last updated: December 3, 2011

Currency and unit to display:

Compared to the US, fuel in Australia (referred to as 'petrol' rather than 'gas', although people will still understand you) is fairly expensive. An average petrol station in a city will generally offer E10 91 or 91, 95, 98, Diesel and LPG. Out on the country, expect to see less high-octane fuels and more 91 than E10 91.

E10 was introduced a few years ago - in essence it's a blend of 10% ethanol (which can be refined from Australian-grown sugar cane and is supposed to burn cleaner) with 90% normal 91 octane fuel. Most Australians use this and most modern cars will run with it - be careful with older engines, as ethanol tends to dissolve any rubber it touches. Also keep in mind that E10 tends not to last quite as long as normal 91 octane fuel. Unfortunately because it's taken over, it's very hard to find 91 octane fuel without ethanol - generally it's quite common outside the cities, but inside it can only be found at the occasional 7-11 station.

95 and 98 octane fuels are generally quite a bit more expensive and often have other agents to clean your engine and so forth. If you have an older engine that can't run E10 this is often your only choice.

LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) is reasonably common in Australia due to its gas reserves. A large number of Australian cars (particuarly taxis) have been converted to run on LPG, which is far cheaper than petrol and offers nearly the same performance. However, if your vehicle hasn't been converted, stay away.

Gasoline Grade Price
Unleaded E10 (91) $1.38 AUD per Liter
Unleaded (91) $1.41 AUD per Liter
Premium (95) $0.00 USD per Gallon (US)
Ultra (98) $0.00 USD per Gallon (US)
Diesel $0.00 USD per Gallon (US)

Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency

Petrol shortages are extremely rare in the cities, and petrol stations are extremely common. In remote Australia, you'll generally find that there are enough stations to keep you going as long as your vehicle has a reasonable range, but carrying extra fuel in a jerry can or similar is advised.

Gas and Diesel Quality

Petrol quality is quite good.

Safety and Security Considerations

Driving at night

Driving at night is generally safe in the cities and outside them. In country areas be careful to watch for native wildlife though, particularly Kangaroos. As you travel around you'll see utes (pickups) and buses adorned with massive, Road-Warrior-esque bull bars - these are installed mainly with Kangaroos in mind. Kangaroos are very fast, very hard to predict and very solid - hitting one at ~100kmh can disable a car or kill a motorcyclist. There'll usually be signs on main roads where Kangaroos are common. Kangaroos are most active at sunrise and sunset - be most vigilant around these times.

Vehicle parking

Vehicles can be parked on the street, although make sure you check that there's no 'No Parking', 'No Stopping' etc signs. Whether they're safe depends on what kind of neighbourhood they're parked in. An odd rule of thumb is that in most Australian cities, the more affluent neighbourhoods tend to be towards the east. Parking in towns depends on the town - there are many nice towns where your vehicle will be untouched, and others where bored kids might steal everything that isn't welded on. Be aware of your surroundings.

For parking off street, in the cities there are a lot of paid car parks that are very expensive.

Special driving considerations

A List of special things to be careful of (i.e. Unsigned speed bumps, abnormal road rules, people or animals on the road, etc.).
List any roads that are not recommended to drive for safety or other security reasons.

Security advisories and information

Camping in Australia

Describe if organized "pay" camping is common. List the facilities commonly found at these campsites.
List the approximate average price range of camping in organized campgrounds.
Also discuss the possibility of "wild" or "roadside" camping. How common is it? Is it considered safe, or a bad idea.

Camping guide books

List and link to books specifically for camping.

Drinking water

Describe if the regular tap water is safe to drink. If not, describe where safe water can be purchased and the approximate average price range.

Navigation

Paper maps

Description of the best paper maps and where to purchase them.

GPS Maps of Australia

Review different GPS companies, quality and coverage (Tomtom, Garmin, OSM, Tracks4Africa). (with links to each).

GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Australia

Link to sites that have a list of GPS co-ordinates (or directions) for camping locations (including "wild" campsites), propane filling, gas stations, repair shops, places of interest, etc.

Special Overland Travel interests

List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders

Guide Books

Lonely Planet Australia (travel Guide)
Lonely Planet Australia (travel Guide)
by Lonely Planet, Meg Worby, Kate Armstrong, Brett At...
From $17.28 on Amazon
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $22.49 on Amazon
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $click on Amazon
First Footprints: The Epic Story Of The First Australi...
First Footprints: The Epic Story Of The First Australi...
by Scott Cane
From $17.23 on Amazon

Vehicle Maintenance

Dealers

4x4s / Trucks

Motorbikes

Local Garages

Add known good mechanics here.

Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Australia

Buy
Describe how a foreigner can buy a vehicle. List any difficulties or limitations on where the vehicle can be driven.

Sell
Describe how a foreigner can sell a foreign-plated vehicle, or list not possible.'

References

Links to the source of any information - blogs or discussion forums, etc.


Helpful External links

Add any helpful external links here.